thompson



(No Model 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. THOMPSON.

BRUSH.

No. 301x44. Patented July 8, 1884.

0 O 0 0 O O O o 0 0 O O O. O 0

(No Model.) 2 Sheets+Sheet 2.

J. THOMPSON. 7 BRUSH. 7 No. 301,644. Patented Ju1y"8,- 1884.

V J J J Wtneasw lnwmtor w M M n. PETERS. Pwwum iw, Walhinglom u. c

" UNITED STATES PATENT.

JOHN THo uPsou, 10F LONDON, ENGLAND.

' BRUSH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,644, dated July 8, 1884.

Application tiled Deccmbor 13. 1883. (No model.) Patented in England August 25, 1813?, No. 4,191, and in France January 24, 1884, g

i No. 159,903.

To asZZ whom it ztay concern.- 1 Be it known that I, Jenn Tnonrson, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Aldersgate Street, in the city of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brushes, (for which I have received Letters Patentin Great Britain, No. 4,121, dated August 25, 1888, and in France, No. 159,903, dated January 24, 1884,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has more especially forits object to improve the construction of toothbrushes; but the improvements are also applicable to other forms of brushes. In toothbrushes as ordinarily formed the outer bristles along the sides of the brush, being unsupported on their outer sides, frequently get bent outward, which renders the brushes nn- 3 pleasant to use, and the bristles are also more likely to be then broken ofi or dragged out from the back. To remedy this I form the central part of the brush of bristles as heretofore, and around the-outside of the brush I fix tongues of vulcanized indiarubber. These tongues I insert into the outer row of holes in the back of the brush, instead of filling these holes with tufts of bristles, as in ordinary brushes. The tongues may be made to project out from the handle or back tothe same extent as the bristles, or nearly so. There is a hole in the back for eachrubber tongue, and the tongues are of pin-like form. Strips connecting the rubber tongues and secured i grooves at the backs of the rows of holes serv ,\to suitably attach the tongues to the brush back. Ihe'bristles at the sides and ends 0 1; other brushes might in ansimilai way be'sup ported by an outer row of tongues of Vulcan ized indie-rubber. For some purposes, also-s as, for example, for nail brushes, platebrnshes, and brushes forfother such like purposes-the brushes may be formed entirely of tongues of vulcanized indie-rubber secured into holes in a back or handle; or brushes might be formed partly of bristles and partly of flexible tongues intermixed in various ways with the bristles, and secured to the back by being passed through their respective securing-holes, as explained above.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, I will proceed to describe more fully the manner of performing the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face View of an assemblage of india-rubber tongues suitable for being used in the manufacture of brushes, as above described. Figs. 2 show a face view, a side view, and an end view of a narrow strip cut from the fabric shown at Fig. 1, and having upon it a single row of tongues. Figs. 3 show a back view and cross-section of abrus'hhandle, having holes bored'through it ready for receiving rows of bristles and an outer row of indie-rubber tongues. Figswl show a side view and cross-section of a finished tooth "brush with the bristles and indiarubber tongues secured to the back. Figs. 5 show a back View and cross-section of abrush-handle somewhat modified in form from the one shown at Fig. 3. Fig. 6 shows aback view of a brushhandle having holes'bored through it for receiving only tongues of india-rubber. Fig. 7 shows a side view of abrush having a handle such as shown at Fig. 6, and having its rubbingrsurface composed entirely of tongues of vulcanized india-rubber. Figs. 8 show a face view and erosssection of a brush made with alternate rows of bristles and indie-rubber Tdngues. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 show side views of. brushes so made with alternate rows of bristles and india-rubber tongues.

Wherever tufts of bristles are to be secured into the handle the handle has holes bored in it, and the tufts of bristles are secured into the holes by means of Wiresin the-ordinary way. Where the tongues of india-rubber are to be secured to the handle, holes are bored through the Handle-one for each tongue-and in the back of the handle a groove is also formed along each of these rows of holes.

In the'several figures, a is a rigid handle, of bone, ivory, or other suitable rigid material. I) b are rows of holes for receiving the tufts of bristles. the pin-like tongues (Z, of vulcanized indie-rubber. e are grooves'formed at the backs of the. rows of holes a.

The vulcanized india-rubber tongues to be used in the constructionof the brushes are 0 c are rows of holes for receiving formed in molds. The molds have rows of holes formed in them of the shape to which the tongues are required tobe molded, and also at a distance apart equal to the distance that the tongues are required to be one from the other. Theholes of the mold are first filled with india-rubber composition; then a thin layer of the composition is spread over the whole face of the mold, and over this is placed a strong fabric. When the mold has been closed and submitted to heat, to effect the vulcanization of the india-rubber compound, the tongues and canvas or other woven back become securely united together. Such an assemblage of vulcanized india-rubber tongues may, be made of any desired width and length. When it has been removed from the mold, it is out into stripssuch as shown at Figs. 2-each containing asingle row of tongues. The strips may be made of any desired length, either to go entirely or partly around the outside edge of a brush, or of the same or less length than the rows of holes which are to receive them.

are drawn through the holes which are to receive them. .The narrow strip of fabric by which the several tongues are held together is made to lie in the groove 6 in the back of the handle. Afterward the groove is filled in with cement to form a smooth surface to the back of the brush. If the groove 6 is a narrow groove, such as shown at Figs. 5, then the strip of fabric which carries the tongues will have to be cut narrower than when a broader groove is used, such as shown at Figs. 3.

When the brush is to be made up entirely of tongues of india-rubber, the handle may, as shown at Fig. 6, have any desired number of rows of holes bored in it, and a separate strip of the vulcanized india-rulober fabric be drawn into the holes of each row, and the.

brush be afterward finished by filling up the grooves c with cement, to form a smooth surface at the back.

In the brushes shown at Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 the rows of bristles and the rows of indiarubber tongues are set alternately and crosswise of the back. I do not, however, limit other.

myself to this way of making up a brushpartly of bristles and partly of tongues of vulcanized india-rubber--as the rows of tufts of bristles and of tongues of india-rubber may be arranged in other ways. The tufts of bristles and the tongues of india-rubber may also, as shown, be made either of the same length, or either of them may be made shorter than the In any event the back has a hole for each of the pin-1ike rubber tongues.

Having thus described the nature of my in vention and the manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that although in the drawings I have only shown various forms of brushessuitable for being used' as tooth-brushes, yet I do not limit myself to the construction of this class of brush, as a great variety of brushes suitable for being used for many other purposesmay be constructed in a similar manner, and the shape of their backs or handles be varied accordingly.

That I claim is- 1. A brush constructed with a rigid back or handle pierced with holes, some of which are madeto hold tufts or bristles, while others are made to hold pin-like tongues of vulcanized india-rubber, each of said tongues being setially as set forth.

2. The brush constructed with a-rigid handle having holes 0 bored through it, and with a groove or grooves, e, at the back of these holes, and having the rubber tongues d secured in these holes by means of a strip or strips connecting the tongues and occupying the groove or grooves, substantially as set forth.

3.- The brush constructed with the rigid handle carrying rows of bristles, and with a row of pin-like tongues of vulcanizedindia-rubber around the outside of these rows of bristles, each of said tongues passing through a separate hole in the handle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN THOMPSON.

Witnesses;

JOHN DEAN.

Gno. J. B. FRANKLIN,

Both of 17 Gracechurch st London.

cured in a separate hole in the back, substan- 

